Showing papers on "Guidance system published in 1978"

Route guidance system for roadway vehicles

Abstract: A central station of a route guidance system collects traffic data from various points of a city area and updates aural routing information stored in roadside remote stations at periodic intervals. A moving vehicle senses the location of a roadside station to transmit a coded destination signal thereto where it is decoded to retrieve desired routing information. The latter is compressed in time dimension and transmitted back to the vehicle for storage in a storage device which is later retrieved at such a rate as to reproduce the original aural information.

Ideal trajectory shaping for anti-armor missiles via time optimal controller autopilot

Abstract: A missile system in which a missile is guided in a predetermined trajectoryrom launch or shortly thereafter in yaw by proportional navigation and in pitch first by a pitch programmer until said missile reaches a predetermined angle between a line of sight of a seeker of the missile and a centerline of the missile, then in pitch by a time optimal controller to direct the missile at a predetermined angle toward a target and finally by proportional navigation in pitch of the missile to the target.

Light emitting diode beacons for command guidance missile track links

Abstract: An improved automatic missile tracking and guidance system wherein a laund missile is guided along a line-of-sight maintained by the operator with the target. The position of an infrared source disposed on the missile is detected and guidance signals generated in accordance therewith to control the flight of the missile along the line-of-sight. The infrared source or beacon disposed on the missile comprises an array of semiconductor light emitting diodes. The solid state characteristics of the light emitting diodes provide heretofore unobtainable reliability over existing beacons. The beacon may be used to produce a modulated, high frequency, rectangular waveform, incoherent emission offering performance improvements including virtual immunity to optical countermeasures.

Time-Controlled Descent Guidance in Uncertain Winds

Abstract: A procedure has been developed for constructing a statistical model of the altitude-dependent mean wind profile from the historical record of wind measurements at particular locations. The model is constructed by fitting a Markov process, with altitude as the stage variable, to the historical wind data. The wind model, together with the aircraft dynamics and the error characteristics of the navigation system, are incorporated in the design of a state estimator, which gives the minimum variance estimate of the aircraft state and the wind vector. The state and wind estimates are used as inputs to a linear feedback law for guiding the aircraft along the nominal trajectory. An example design of a time-constrained (4D RNAV) descent guidance system is presented, showing tracking accuracy, control activity, and probability of arrival time with and without the wind estimator.

Ideal trajectory shaping for anti-armor missiles via gimbal angle controller autopilot

Abstract: Apparatus and method of anti-armor missile trajectory shaping for optimum rhead penetration of armor by a guided missile. The guidance system utilizes a terminal homing guidance unit in conjunction with a programmed control signal through the missile's autopilot to cause the missile to cruise at low altitudes and then dive onto the armor target. The terminal dive angle can be selected dependent upon the target's armor characteristics.

Guidance and navigation for automatic landing, rollout, and turnoff using MLS and magnetic cable sensors

Abstract: This paper describes the navigation and guidance system developed for the TCV B-737, a Langley Field NASA research aircraft, and presents the results of an evaluation during final approach, landing, rollout and turnoff obtained through a nonlinear digital simulation. A Kalman filter (implemented in square root form) and a third order complementary filter were developed and compared for navigation. The Microwave Landing Systems (MLS) is used for all phases of the flight for navigation and guidance. In addition, for rollout and turnoff, a three coil sensor which detects the magnetic field induced by a buried wire in the runway (magnetic leader cable) is used. The outputs of the sensor are processed into measurements of position and heading deviation from the wire. The results show the concept to be both feasible and practical for commercial type aircraft terminal area control.

Inertial guidance system for vertically launched missiles without roll control

Abstract: An electronic guidance system which when provided with a set of target poion coordinates prior to launch, calculates the missile position and velocity in an inertially fixed coordinate system during flight. All inertial coordinate system variables are defined by a three axis orthorganal coordinate system centered on the target position. This guidance system functions without an active roll control by continuously pointing the velocity vector of the missile towards the target position.

The Evolution of the Ship's Inertial Navigation System for the Fleet Ballistic Missile Program

Abstract: On 15 November 1960, the nuclear powered submarine, USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, carrying 16 Polaris A-l 1200-nautical mile missiles, departed Charleston, South Carolina on the first 60-day operational patrol of this nation’s Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines. On board the submarine was an inertial navigator, the MK 2 MOD 0 Ships Inertial Navigation System, known by the acronym, SINS. The SINS was self-contained. It was the heart of a new navigation subsystem that provided precise navigational data without the need for continuous external position references or reliance on the standard dead reckon- ing techniques of plotting ship’s position. The SINS enabled the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON to take advantage of its nuclear propulsion and remain submerged for extended periods of time, minimizing its probability of detection, while remaining in a constant state of readiness to fire its Polaris missiles. The nation’s newest strategic deterrent force, the Fleet Ballistic Missile and the FBM submarine, were on station. To have a ballistic missile hit its target thousands of miles away, the location of the launch point as well as the target must be precisely known. In this case, the launch point is a moving platform, the FBM submarine (Fig. 1). The task of the SINS is to provide the precise instantaneous location of that moving launch point to the missile fire control subsystem which then uses that information, together with the pre-set target locations, to solve the ballistic equations. The SINS must also provide continuous ship’s attitude and instantaneous velocity data so that the missile’s guidance system can be rapidly and accurately erected and aligned just prior to missile launch. Eight key parameters are provided by the SINS (Fig. 2). SINS latitude and longitude outputs are used to compute the missile’s instantaneous azimuth angle and range angle to target. SINS roll and pitch outputs are differentiated by fire control to obtain pitch and roll rates required for moment arm correction of ship velocity. Ship’s heading information is required by fire control to train the missile to the proper bearing for the selected target. SINS velocity is used to correct the computed missile initial velocity to account for ship’s motion.

Navigation performance of the Triscan concept for shipboard VTOL aircraft operations

Abstract: The paper deals with the Triscan concept - a dual-antenna microwave landing guidance system, using triangulation for close-in accuracy - developed to facilitate the landing of VTOL aircraft on ships in all-weather conditions. Analysis of the navigation performance of an onboard system receiving data from Triscan and data-linked information regarding the motion of the ship showed that the approach navigation performance depends on the approach path profile flown, the magnitude of the measurement bias error, and the navigation system's knowledge of the shipboard landing pad motion, which was implemented through the concept of a landing pad deviation vector.

Exit path guidance system for personnel evacuation - includes several guidance signs operated by received alarm signal

Abstract: The exit guidance system is used to evacuate personnel from a danger zone, in reponse to toxic gases, explosive gases, or smoke etc. being detected. A number of detectors and respective evaluation circuits supply signals to the guidance system, which subsequently energises a series of illuminated guidance signals indicating the appropriate exit route. Pref. each guidance sign has two arrows pointing in opposite directions, either one of which can be illuminated, in dependence on the location of the danger.

Conceptual design study of a Harrier V/STOL research aircraft

Abstract: MCAIR recently completed a conceptual design study to define modification approaches to, and derive planning prices for the conversion of a two place Harrier to a V/STOL control, display and guidance research aircraft. Control concepts such as rate damping, attitude stabilization, velocity command, and cockpit controllers are to be demonstrated. Display formats will also be investigated, and landing, navigation and guidance systems flight tested. The rear cockpit is modified such that it can be quickly adapted to faithfully simulate the controls, displays and handling qualities of a Type A or Type B V/STOL. The safety pilot always has take command capability. The modifications studied fall into two categories: basic modifications and optional modifications. Technical descriptions of the basic modifications and of the optional modifications are presented. The modification plan and schedule as well as the test plan and schedule are presented. The failure mode and effects analysis, aircraft performance, aircraft weight, and aircraft support are discussed.

Vehicle guidance system with microprocessor control - uses stored program control for route diversion with command signals passed by inductive loop

Abstract: The guidance system consists of a guide cable (10) which joins one location (A) to another (B) along which the vehicle is guided. An inductive loop allows command signals to be passed to the vehicle. The control system in the vehicle operating the steering, brakes, drive etc incorporates a f.o.m. so that a programmed route or diversion may be stored and executed. At a certain point (12) along the guidance cable, the programme is fed in. The vehicle continues forward under the influence of the stored programme. The data is checked at a further point (13) for validity before the vehicle undertakes a diversion and tipping and loading operation (14) before returning to the guidance cable route.

Implementation of an optimum profile guidance system on stoland

Abstract: The implementation on the STOLAND airborne digital computer of an optimum profile guidance system for the augmentor wing jet STOL research aircraft is described. Major tasks were to implement the guidance and control logic to airborne computer software and to integrate the module with the existing STOLAND navigation, display, and autopilot routines. The optimum profile guidance system comprises an algorithm for synthesizing mimimum fuel trajectories for a wide range of starting positions in the terminal area and a control law for flying the aircraft automatically along the trajectory. The avionics software developed is described along with a FORTRAN program that was constructed to reflect the modular nature and algorthms implemented in the avionics software.

Digital adaptive control laws for VTOL aircraft

Abstract: The VTOL Approach and Landing Technology (VALT) Program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is conducting research in navigation, guidance, control display, and flight management for future VTOL aircraft. As part of the research in advanced control technology Honeywell designed a digital self-adaptive flight control system for flight test in the VALT Research Aircraft -- a tandem rotor medium transport helicopter (a modified CH-47). The control laws accept commands from an automatic on-board guidance system. The primary objective of the control laws is to provide good command following with a minimum cross-axis response. Three attitudes and vertical velocity are separately commanded. Adaptation of the control laws is based on information from rate and attitude gyros and a vertical velocity measurement. The final design resulted from a comparison of two different adaptive concepts -- one based on explicit parameter estimates from a real-time Maximum Likelihood Estimation algorithm, the other based on an implicit Model Reference adaptive system. The two designs were compared on the basis of performance and complexity.